


Birth And Choice

by tielan



Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Character Study, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-03-07
Updated: 2011-03-07
Packaged: 2017-10-16 04:19:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 477
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/168333
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tielan/pseuds/tielan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>You can't choose your relatives.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Birth And Choice

The Lantean saying goes, ‘You can’t choose your relatives.’

\--

His uncle Mendiz - the youngest of his mother’s brothers - began his career as a soldier when Ronon was five. Mendiz was enthusiastic and courageous - even reckless. He would not last long in the Satedan Armed Forces - or so pronounced Ronon’s father in regret and admiration and warning.

As a matter of fact, Uncle Mendiz survived nearly twelve years. He died in a skirmish against the Wraith when Ronon was seventeen and just about to enter the SAF, saving fourteen other men and women in his heroic act.

Ronon always wanted to be like Mendiz.

\--

Heris was from the next ranch over, a distant cousin back several generations, and Ronon’s playmate, fightmate, and trusty confidant. He taught her how to swim and she taught him how to climb trees, and when she married into a neighbouring family at age eighteen, Ronon was asked to stand among those who represented her family.

The last time he saw Heris was at his wedding to Malena. She spilled _liba_ grain into his pocket for fruitfulness and fondly kissed his cheek. “Ancestors bless you, Ronon.”

Ronon still wonders if she escaped the Wraith or died fighting.

\--

Dialla was the bookworm of the clan, forever reading, researching, questioning, asking. She was knowledgeable and talky, and liked showing off her knowledge by being talky. The answer to a simple question would barely fit into a library when cousin Dialla was around.

Around the time Ronon turned thirteen, he discovered that other girls’s smiles were more interesting than Dialla’s lectures.

But sometimes Ronon still allowed her to lecture him, because Dialla enjoyed talking and he didn’t mind listening.

\--

Estacia loved the water, but feared the depths, which was why Ronon always dunked her when he and his cousins went down to the river. When she told him off, he only smiled and grabbed her around the waist to dunk again. Estacia was easy to tease that way.

She was bossy as a chatterdaw in spring, as full of thoughts as Dialla. But she was also the organised one, though; giving orders and expecting others to carry them out.

Ronon almost always did - except for her orders not to dunk her, of course.

\--

His grandfather, Kemoc, had fought in the Satedan Armed Forces for years. And the old man would sit the young Ronon on his lap and speak of the Ancestors and the Wraith, of how Sateda had survived the cullings year after year and grown strong.

Ronon loved the quiet strength of his grandfather, hardened by his experiences and the old man’s spirit. Hands the texture of brown parchment would describe arcs and arrows, and Ronon sat still and listened.

Kemoc died long before Sateda fell to the Wraith.

\--

The Satedan saying is, ‘Relatives are like the weather - best sat out and enjoyed where possible.’


End file.
